The present invention relates to a new and distinct perennial variety of Vaccinium hybrid (Southern Highbush Blueberry), which has been given the variety denomination of ‘Ridley 3402’. Its market class is that of a fruiting plant. ‘Ridley 3402’ is intended for use as fresh fruit for shipping, customer pick and processing markets and as a home garden plant.
The new Vaccinium hybrid cultivar is a selection resulting from seedlings produced in a breeding programme of Vaccinium at Lindendale, NSW, Australia in 2007 from the controlled pollination of seed parent ‘S03-40-02’ (unpatented) with pollen parent ‘S03-09-01A’ (unpatented). The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single plant within a population of 100 resulting Vaccinium hybrid plants from this controlled pollination in 2009 in a commercial field plantation environment at Lindendale, New South Wales, Australia. Selection criteria were a combination of strong plant growth vigor, low chilling requirement, early to medium time of flowering, upright to semi-upright plant growth habit, firm fruit suited to handling, desirable tasting berries and small picking scar. The selection was subsequently evaluated for a number of years at the commercial farms at Lindendale, New South Wales, Australia.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cutting propagation since 2009 at Lindendale, New South Wales, Australia has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.
The new variety has been primarily compared to the variety ‘Ridley 0501’ (unpatented). In Lindendale, New South Wales, Australia the plant growth vigor of ‘Ridley 3402’ is classified as strong whereas the plant growth vigor of ‘Ridley 0501’ is medium. The berry shape in longitudinal section of ‘Ridley 3402’ is oblate whereas berry shape in longitudinal section of ‘Ridley 0501’ is round. The berry diameter of calyx basin of ‘Ridley 3402’ is medium whereas ‘Ridley 0501’ is large. The time of beginning of flowering of ‘Ridley 3402’ is classified as ‘early’ whereas the time of beginning of flowering of time of ‘Ridley 0501’ is classified as ‘very early’. The intensity of bloom of the berry skin of ‘Ridley 3402’ is strong whereas ‘Ridley 0501’ is medium. The berry firmness of ‘Ridley 3402’ is medium whereas ‘Ridley 0501’ is medium to firm. The berry sweetness of ‘Ridley 3402’ is ‘medium to high’ whereas ‘Ridley 0501’ is low to medium. This combination of vegetative and fruiting attributes results in ‘Ridley 3402’ being a desirable and distinctive variety for commercial production.